A variety of machines have been developed to recycle, reduce, or otherwise process materials such as trees, brush, and other vegetation. The processing machines chip, cut, grind, shred, pulverize or otherwise reduce the material. Exemplary material processing machines include chippers, grinders, shredders, hammer mills, forestry mulchers, and the like.
Forestry mulching is a land clearing method of particular interest and development. The forestry mulcher, also referred to as a masticator or brushcutter, typically comprises a hydraulically-powered mulching attachment removably coupled to a tractor or other implement. The mulching attachment typically comprises a rotary drum equipped with processing tools disposed about the drum. The processing tools reduce the material as the implement forcibly urges the rotating processing tools into direct contact with the material sought to be reduced. Given the operating conditions associated with forestry mulching and similar operations, those having skill in the art readily appreciate the marked mechanical stress and wear endured by many of the components of the processing machine.
Due to these demands of forestry mulching and similar operations, the processing tools typically comprise a replaceable tool head—often called a “wear part”—removably coupled to a tool holder fixedly secured to the rotary drum. The tool head is positioned in an operating direction typically the rotational direction of the rotary drum. Relative to the tool holder and rotary drum, the time and expense associated with repair and/or replacement of the tool heads are appreciably less. Thus, during operation of the processing machine, it is desirable to concentrate contact between the material and the tool head, thereby focusing wear on the tool head and limiting wear on the tool holder and rotary drum.
Known systems, however, do not adequately limit contact between the material and the tool holder and rotary drum. As the rotary drum rotates in the operating direction, the material undesirably contacts the rotary drum prior to the tool head or after engagement with the tool head. Often, the material also undesirably contacts the tool holder prior to the tool head. In addition to the stress and wear endured by the drum and the tool holder, suboptimal cutting depth to suitably reduce the material often results.
Likewise, subsequent to the material “passing” each of the tool heads, known systems do not adequately limit wear to the tool holder adjacent the cutting head opposite the operating direction. In addition to the wear endured by the tool holder, the result often prevents the known systems from using relatively simpler means of connection between the tool head and the tool holder.
Therefore, a processing tool system for a material processing machine designed to overcome one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages is desired.